Convertible suspenders and belt.



No. 718,360. PATBNTBD JAN. 13, 1963.

D. LAUFERTY & B. STEIN. v CONVERTIBLE SUSPENDERS AND BELT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

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NITED v STATES 'TET Orrin.

DAVID LAUFERTY AND BENJAMIN STEIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONVERTIBLE SUSPENDERS'AND BELT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,360, dated January 13, 1903.

Application filed September 24, 1902. fierial No. 124,659. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, .DAVID LAUFERTY and BENJAMIN STEIN, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in'the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Convertible Suspenders and Belts, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention has for its object to provide novel details of construction for suspenders that adapt the same to be quickly and'con veniently arranged for use as a body-belt and again converted into suspenders, as occasion may require.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and defined in thejappended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in which similar characters of reference-indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of the device arranged as suspenders. Fig. 2' is a like view of the same converted into a belt. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional plan view substantially on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional-view substantially on the lined tin Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged rear view of the end portions of the suspenders, showing their swivel connection with each other and with a' couplingstrap; and Fig. 6 is a side view showing a slight modification ofa loop connection employed for converting the two suspenderbands into a belt.

The suspenders. (shown complete in Fig. 1) comprise two preferably fibrous bands 10, having their front end. portions folded upon. the main portions and held at their extremities thereon by the ordinary clamps a, which latter, by longitudinaladjustment upon the main portions of the bands 10, afford means to lengthen or shorten said bands.

The means for connectingtogether the rear ends of the suspender=bands 10 involves a feature of the invention and consistsin the following construction .aud relative arrangement of parts.

An elongated tubular pivot-bolt 11 is provided, having a flanged head bformed on one .end by turning the material outward at a right angle to the axis of the bolt.

A coupling-strap'12, the use of which will be hereinafter explained, is lapped near one of its ends upon the rear end of one suspender-band 10, throughwhich the tubular pivotbolt 11 is-inserted.

One or more washers 0, having propel-thickness, two being shown in Fig. 4, are mounted upon the tubular bolt 11, after which the rear end of the remaining suspender-band 10 is mounted upon said pivot-bolt.

Two washers c are now mounted upon the projecting end portion of. the pivot-bolt 11, and a bulbous head a is formed on the extremity of the bolt exterior of said washers c.

A cap-piece formed of sheet metal, so as to produce a bulbous hollow head 0 and a radial flange c on the head 0 at its base, is forced upon the bulbous head 0 and compressed thereon by proper means, whereby the parts 'mounted upon the bolt 11 are loosely secured thereon;

)socket.

A pair of connected back straps or tabs 10 is slidably engaged with the looped hanger 13, these straps having buttonholes near their ends for engagement with appropriate buttons on the rear portion of the waistband of trousers, and it may here be explained that the looped hanger 13 and the back-strap 10 are not claimed as of novel construction, but

are shown as essential portions of the suspenders.

It will be seen that the construction and arrangement of parts as described adapt the washers c to space apart the suspender-bands 10, and the washers c prevent direct contact of the end portion of the coupling-strap 12 with an adjacent suspender-band, so that improper friction and wear of said parts are prevented, and the suspenders in their back portions are adapted to yield readily to changes in position of the person wearing them, thus conducing greatly to his comfort.

Upon the looped front ends of each of the Suspender-bands 10 a laterally-elongated link 14 is mounted and in service engages the bight of the loop.

A coupling-strap 15, similar to the couplingstrap 12, is provided for each link 14 and is secured thereto by passing one end of the strap through the link, then folding it forwardly upon itself and securing the folded portion to the body of the strap by a rivet and washeras, for example, the rivet g, which has a bulbous head g formed or secured upon it and bearing upon the outer side of the coupling-strap, as indicated in Fig. 6.

A laterally-disposed link 16 is rockably secured upon one of the coupling-straps 15 by means of a flexible hinge-loop 17, which is inserted through the link 16, then folded together, and its lapped end portions fastened upon the forward side of the coupling-strap either by means of the rivet g at its head 9', as shown in Fig. 3, or by sewing these end portions of the loop upon the coupling-strap, as shown at h by dotted lines in Fig. 6.

The flap portion of each coupling-strap 1.5 is designed to fold upward and be detachably secured upon the bulbous head 9 of the rivet g by the snapped engagement with the rivet of the socket-head 18 that receives the bulbous head g, the construction and arrangement of these parts being similar with that of the socket-head (Z and bulbous head 0 To complete the construction of the device so that it is eflicient as a suspender attachment for trousers, two similar pairs of front tabs 19 are provided, each slidably engaged with a hanger 20, the latter having a laterallyelongated link at its upper end for the reception of the flap portion of a respective coupling-strap 15.

It will be seen that when the couplingstraps 15 are engaged with the link portions of the hangers 20 and then secured in folded condition by means of the rivets g and bulbous heads g the suspenders are completed and ready for service, as shown in Fig. 1.

When the device is to.be converted into a waist-belt, the front tab attachments 19 are removed, as are also the rear tabs 10, and the Suspender-bands 10 are drawn upon to aline them with each other, as indicated fragmentally in Fig. 5, and the coupling-strap 12 may be folded over the pivoted rear end portions of the bands as secured, as represented in Fig. 2.

The doubled front end portions of the bands 10 may now be adjusted for length by shifting the clamps a, to suit the girth of the person who is to don the belt, and the latter may be fastened in place by passing one couplingstrap 15 through the link 16, that is hinged upon the other coupling-strap 15, the operation being completed by snapping the bulbous socket-head 18 upon the head g of the rivet g, so as to detachably secure the coupling-strap in coupled engagement with the link 16, to be released by an outward pull on the coupling-strap.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the improvements afford neat convertible suspenders and a belt that may be readily changed to serve either purpose.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In convertible suspenders and belts, the combination with two lapped ends of pliable bands, and a coupling-strap, of a flat-headed tubular rivet passing through an end portion of the coupling-strap and end portions of the pliable bands, the fiat head of the rivet resting upon the strap, a plurality of washers strung upon the rivet and intervening the bands, a plurality of washers on the rivet near its inserted end, a bulbous head formed on said inserted end of the rivet, and a socketed head carried by the flap end of the couplingstrap,and which may be adj ustably connected with the bulbous head of the rivet when the coupling-strap is folded.

2. In convertible suspenders and belts, the combination with the looped front portions of the Suspender-bands, of alaterally-elongated link engaging the bight of each looped band portion, a coupling-strap having looped and secured connection with each link, a detachable connection between the fiap portion of each coupling-strap and its secured end, and a hinged, laterally-elongated link carried by one of the coupling-straps, wherein the other coupling-strap may be inserted, folded and detachably secured.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID LAUFERTY. BENJAMIN STEIN. Witnesses as to David Lauferty:

C. H. J ONES, WILSON G. HARVEY. Witnesses as to Benjamin Stein:

WILLIAM P. PATTON, J NO. M. BITTER. 

